A closer look into the reality of fraternities behind their stereotypes

Undoubtedly, various stereotypes — including negative stereotypes —  are associated with fraternities, fraternity brothers and even their houses on college campuses across the nation. 

“The experience that I’ve had with guys in Greek life was always pretty good,” Chris Pettit, a second-year political science major said. “Most of the guys are nice and friendly. But I have a friend who doesn’t see frats so positively. He had a negative experience with a few of those guys. He was at a party (he wasn’t rushing) and got into an altercation with a few guys. They were being overly aggressive with him and really intimidated him.”

GreekRank is a website devoted to designating different fraternities to a limited selection of reputations. For example, Pi Kappa Alpha at UC Davis, known as Pike, has been designated by many students as “top house” and also holds a reputation of being the “good looking” and “party animal” fraternity.

“The most common stereotypes are what the media portrays,” Nick Elliott-Smith, a fourth-year political science and philosophy double major said. “Binge drinking, hazing, misogyny, toxic masculinity, […] I think those are the more common ones that I’ve heard. I think there are a lot of tragedies that occurred in recent years and I think that a lot of the times, there is some truth behind [the stereotypes]. There are some horrible people out there that do wear Greek letters and I do not condone that.”

Elliott-Smith is the president of the UC Davis Interfraternity Council (IFC), as of Winter Quarter of 2019 and a member of Sigma Chi. These stereotypes are, more often than not, associated with social fraternities, all of which belong to a single council: the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Most social fraternities at UC Davis, 19 to be exact, belong to the IFC. Davis IFC is governed by their campus executive board, which is in charge of managing fraternity affairs, communications, finance, activities, recruitment and discipline. 

 One of the tragedies Elliott-Smith mentions, as stated above, is the hazing incident at Pennsylvania State University where a pledge died during an intense hazing ritual for Beta Theta Pi. Timothy Piazza, the pledge, drank large amounts of alcohol as a part of the hazing ritual and became unconscious. The other brothers in the fraternity failed to immediately call for medical assistance and, by the time they did, it was too late. Piazza died in the hospital the next morning. Surgeons found that he had a ruptured spleen and multiple brain injuries. 

In a community like Davis, where nothing this severe has happened in recent memory, it may seem like incidents of tragic proportions are rare, however, they do occur. “Eighty percent of fraternity members report being hazed,” according to an article in The Atlantic. “It’s not an aberration; it’s the norm.” 

Elliott-Smith assures that hazing like this does not occur in the Davis Greek life community. According to UC Davis’ Constitution of the Interfraternity Council, “each Member chapter shall develop recruitment events, materials, and activities that are: a. Value based; b. Alcohol-free and illegal substance-free; c. Generally in good taste; d. Not derogatory, degrading, or slanderous.”

“I can’t really say that there is truth behind [these stereotypes] in our community,” Elliott-Smith said. “Davis has a very unique environment. People come here for an academic education, it’s not really a social school. So for a lot of the stigmas attached to the fraternities [here], I really do not find any true value within my own council.”

Michael Bengard, a first-year agricultural and environmental education major and brother of Phi Delta Theta, explained to The Aggie why he joined his fraternity. 

“I felt pretty comfortable there and I liked all the guys,” Bengard said. “It just felt right.”

Bengard comments on the legitimacy of different stereotypes and reputations associated with different fraternities.

“Some houses attract different guys that you could say reflect the stereotype,” Bengard said.

One of the reasons why men join fraternities is to build connections and network with alumni. Fraternities are also meant to benefit members both while they are in school and post-graduation. 

“People see frats as a place to mess around and blow off school, but it’s actually meant to help you with school,” Bengard said. “It’s helped me a lot, and there’s a lot of good things that can come out of it. It’s not all about partying.”

Beyond the brotherhood, IFC fraternities work closely with the Collegiate Panhellenic Association, the equivalent of the IFC for sororities. IFC fraternities and Panhellenic sororities often coordinate various social events with one another, including formals and exchanges. The two organizations also work together on community projects and philanthropy projects. 

“Panhellenic and IFC function as completely separate entities,” said Erin Love, a third-year history and psychology major, who serves as the Panhellenic president at UC Davis. “Due to the friendships between our members, and the similarities of the structure of our councils and the chapters that they consist of, partnering with each other to work on projects expands the scope of people we can reach and sometimes makes events more fun.” 

Some members of Greek Life feel that the community service projects they participate in go unrecognized most of the time. 

“I think that what the media misses a lot of time is the good that we do in society, within our respective communities,” Elliott-Smith said. “A lot of times, what we do for our community becomes completely ignored because there are a lot of horrible people out there that wear Greek letters and they commit these atrocities, and it completely robs the value of what we commit to doing for our communities.”

Love responded to the ‘frat boy’ stereotype, saying based on the fraternity members she has interacted with in Davis, “the stereotypes would not be an accurate description.”

“Stereotypes are tricky because as soon as you say they aren’t true, someone will typically do something that proves to be right,” Love said. “I think that the term ‘frat boy’ has a really negative connotation, which in some cases, it has been earned, but that referring to them as ‘fraternity men’ aligns more accurately with their ideals and helps to promote within themselves that they are better than those stereotypes. The men that I work with/am friends with are hardworking, intelligent and driven individuals and shouldn’t be labeled as anything else simply for joining an organization that encourages those positive attributes.”

Written by: Linh Nguyen — features@theaggie.org

Local restaurants including ChickPeas, Village Bakery contribute to weekly Central Park gathering

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) found in 2010 that the U.S. alone wastes approximately 30-40% of its food supply, equaling almost 133 billion pounds of food. It is also estimated that 40 million people in the US are food insecure, meaning 1 in 8 Americans struggle to find access to nutritious and sustainable food. 

Yet another statistic that might hit close to home for many is Feeding America’s estimate that approximately 28,320 people are food insecure within Yolo County.

To combat these figures, a group of Davis graduate students founded the Davis Night Market, a weekly gathering in Central Park that attempts to reduce food insecurity and waste in Yolo County by collecting donations of leftover food from local restaurants. 

The market started late last Spring 2019, and since then it has welcomed hundreds of community members. Each Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., volunteers unload a variety of donated food from Davis restaurants onto the picnic tables in Central Park for the community to enjoy. In addition to free food, there is also different music and entertainment each week. The event runs until all the food is gone — until roughly 11 p.m. 

Hannah Yu, a fourth-year economics and communications double major, does project management for the night market and oversees its outreach efforts. She explained the vision for the market in a few concise words. 

“Our whole goal was to make sure that nobody goes to bed hungry,” Yu said. “We wanted to do our best to reduce food waste and feed people in need or those who are food insecure. As a whole, we generally tend to waste a lot of food and restaurants especially are always throwing away food that could easily go to people in need instead of making its way into the trash.”

When the project first began, volunteers reached out to local restaurants and asked for food donations and leftovers after hours. So far, the market has acquired seven vendors including ChickPeas, Upper Crust Baking, Dickey’s, Village Bakery, the Food Co-op, the Farmers Kitchen Cafe and the Barista Brew. 

“It’s really heartwarming to see how much the community wants to give back,” Yu said. “I’m from L.A. and I’m not used to seeing that. It’s really awesome to see how the people in Davis want to help each other out.”

Although the gathering aims to provide support to those who struggle with food insecurity, the market still encourages anyone in the community to come by for free food and good company. 

“We want the entire Davis community to feel welcomed and join us,” Yu said. “When we first started the project, our goal was to address the food insecurity problems not only among the homeless population in Davis, but also the students of UC Davis. We have had a lot of students come by and tell us how grateful they were because they don’t feel comfortable going to foodbanks and I am so grateful that they feel comfortable enough to come to the market and not feel stigmatized.” 

Yu mentioned that Upper Crust Baking was one of the first restaurants to donate to the market even before it was recognized as a community event. The Upper Crust owner and manager, Lorin Kalisky, explained why the restaurant chose to donate their baked goods to the night market. 

“We are happy to donate goods to the Davis Night Market and many other food organizations that help feed people that are food insecure,” Kalisky said. “We have a lot of bread and other baked goods that wouldn’t necessarily go to waste, but would be left over or get old, and we try to waste as little food as possible.” 

Kalisky also said that many of the same individuals associated with the market are involved in other “organizations and initiatives in town trying to alleviate food insecurity.” 

“We want to help nonprofits and charity organizations by donating or sponsoring them,” Kalisky said. “We try to be a very active participant in the Davis community and we are always happy to do what we can to support noble causes.”

Sixth-year ecology graduate student Ernst Oenhinger is one of the founding members of the Davis Night Market and has worked on many other on-campus food sustainability projects including the Freedge and the Food Recovery Network. Oenhinger detailed how the market has tried to reach all members of the community, regardless of socioeconomic background. 

“There are several components that we wanted the DNM to address: one was to reduce food waste and food insecurity, but we also wanted to incorporate a social aspect by involving the community through music and hanging out and interacting with one another,” Oenhinger said. “I think that is what kind of brings it all together.”  

In addition to alleviating food insecurity in Davis, the night market also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Rather than using a car to transport donated goods, the organization uses bike trailers. 

“We try to at least have one trailer for each restaurant,” Oenhinger said. “The trailers usually have some cool LED lights with the Davis Night Market logo as well as a boombox to play music and keep things fun.”

Moving forward, Oenhinger hopes to see more restaurants donate to the program, with a possibility of designating an additional day of the week to hold the market on. He also expressed his hopes for the project on a larger scale.

“We definitely want to have a model that is copyable by any other community,” Oenhinger said. “This is not something that will work in every city, but we want to make it as adaptable as possible. Our goal is to make a platform that is easy to copy — we want to have everything, from how to make the signs to the proper way to ask restaurants for help on a website or google folder that can be accessed by anyone.”

Although the market has helped numerous people within the past couple of months, the initiative has not always been smooth sailing. In 1996, then-President Bill Clinton passed the Good Samaritan Food Act, which encouraged restaurants and supermarkets to donate food to nonprofit organizations while minimizing the liability of the donating party. Yet, many of the restaurants the DNM reached out to rejected the idea of donating their perishable goods.

“When [we were] asking restaurants for donations, I noticed that many of these restaurants had this mentality of fear and liability,” Oenhinger said. “People are scared of getting sued, but luckily we have been fortunate enough to have vendors that don’t adhere to this mentality.”

In addition, Oenhinger explained why the market opted to not brand itself a UC Davis student-run organization. He cited the recent issues that the Food Recovery Network (FRN), a student-run non-profit organization that brings surplus food from campus dining to members of the community, has run into with the university. There is a lack of campus initiative to help the FRN find parking spots for its electric vehicle, which has prevented it from recovering waste from two different on-campus dining commons, according to Oenhinger. 

“[There is] a kind of bureaucracy we would have to deal with if we do things on campus,” Oenhinger said. “Food Recovery Network is doing this service for free, they have a bunch of volunteers come in and do an amazing job of recovering food from the DC and donating it to Davis Community Meals and Solano park and so many other organizations and they ask for help from the DC and they are helping the DC get rid of their waste and DC doesn’t help move a finger for them.” 

Although the Davis Night Market has been successful in addressing and supporting people who struggle with food insecurity throughout Davis, there is still much more that can be done — especially on campus. Oenhinger stressed that the UC Davis administration should collaborate better with students on different food insecurity initiatives. 

“I think in the past five years that I have been at Davis there has been so many more initiatives that target food insecurity and food recovery so we are definitely going in the right direction,” Oenhinger said. “But the problem is still pretty big […] I hope that the Davis community continues to push for these initiatives that promote reducing food waste and food insecurity.”

For those interested in volunteering for the Davis Night Market, Yu and Oenhinger encourage members of the community to reach out via Facebook and Instagram. The Davis Night Market is held weekly on Tuesdays in Central Park from 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Written by: Sneha Ramachandran  — features@theaggie.org

Students discess fundamental issues within Panhellenic organizations

For many students entering college, joining Greek life is a way to get involved on campus. Not only is it idealized in movies and TV, but it has recently become somewhat of a status symbol on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. 

For several students, however, joining Greek life at Davis is a commitment that has not proved to be worthwhile. UC Davis Panhellenic — the umbrella organization under which sororities fall — refused to comment on specifics regarding retention rates and their impact on greek organizations. They did, however, offer the following statemen: 

“Panhellenic as a whole recognizes that women may choose to release themselves from their chapter throughout the course of their four years for various reasons, but as a whole our community works hard to constantly improve retention rates among our chapter members and new members,” the statement said. “That being said, we are always looking for ways to improve our retention and welcome members to reach out to us for suggestions with how things can be improved.”

Regardless of this potential for growth, some women who have dropped their sororities struggle with the fundamentals and core ideals upon which Panhellenic is built. Fourth-year studio art major and education minor Madi Volk spent her freshman year as a member of the Panhellenic sorority Chi Omega. During her time in Greek life, Madi struggled to come to terms with the ideals of sorority culture.

“I don’t think sororities are inclusionary spaces — they lack diversity and room for queer people to thrive,” Volk said. “They also hold men and women to very different standards, leading to mysoginistic tendencies that are not far out of line with rape culture.”

The 2018-19 National Panhellenic Council (NPC) Annual Report mentions diversity only twice in 28 pages. It offers one list of recommendations to ensure diversity awareness in Panhellenic organizations. Out of its six recommendations, three mentioned financial awareness and zero mentioned racial, sexual or gender identity awareness. Additionally, none of these reports included racial demographics within the Panhellenic system. 

There were no racial and socioeconomic demographics statistics made readily available by Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council (IFC) sources at UC Davis. According to a 2014 article by the century foundation, however, a Princeton University study showed that “white and higher-income students are much more likely to join fraternities and sororities — 77 percent of sorority members and 73 percent of fraternity members were white, compared to only 47 percent of the student body.” 

According to Volk, what was most difficult was the lack of ability to reform these fundamental issues. 

“I didn’t feel like an individual who made a difference, I felt like change was really hard to make,” Volk said. “As a newcomer I had a new perspective on these issues and that was continually getting shut down.” 

For many, monetary obligations are a primary reason for dropping. According to the UC Davis Panhellenic website, “The first quarter of joining a sorority is always the most expensive ($700-900), but consecutive quarters are drastically lowered ($300-500).” Annual dues can range from anywhere to $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the house. 

For Sally Ellberg, a fourth-year biological science major and former member of Alpha Phi, the monetary obligation of being in a sorority proved unjustifiable. 

“Ultimately, I was paying a large sum and dedicating hours to something that I would rather allocate elsewhere,” Ellberg said. 

Ellberg feels that joining a sorority can be an effective way to get involved and feel connected to the Davis community. Since dropping Alpha Phi, however, she has found other outlets for social fulfillment and connections.

“In places like UC Davis where we have such a large student body, it can be intimidating and scary trying to find your people and even more so as a freshman or transfer student,” Ellberg said. “[However], I landed an internship on campus in a nutrition lab and joined Camp Kesem — a nationwide organization where college students help children through and beyond a parent’s cancer by providing year-round support and fundraising a week of summer camp —  essentially, Camp Kesem is where I found the most fulfillment and the truest of friendships.”

Furthermore, a sororities initial dues are not the only financial obligations. Members are also fined for missing mandatory events, such as weekly meetings, Panhellenic workshops and recruitment. This raises issues for members who need to work to pay for their membership but are fined when they miss certain events because they interfere with work. 

“There are multiple required commitments that have monetary fines for missing that are higher than the minimum wage,” Volk said. “For my sorority, there was a $20 fine for missing a one hour event.”

Despite her decision to drop, Ellberg is still grateful for what her sorority offered her. 

“I do not want to talk negatively about my sorority because it did give me a sense of belonging and an avenue for making friends at a time I needed it the most,” Ellberg said. “Navigating friendships and social life in college can be extremely difficult to do and it took me two whole years to find where I belong.”

According to members of the Greek community, sororities can be a great place to find community and make UC Davis feel more intimate. As a result of their costly nature, though, some feel that they are inherently exclusionary spaces, prompting a lack of diversity. 

Greek organizations often market themselves to new members as opportunities for advancement and places to make and establish connections. But according to Volk, the high costs inhibit socioeconomic diversity, leading to further advancement of the 1% and hindering minority populations. In order for Panhellenic to become representative of the Davis population — in turn, increasing membership and improving retention rates — it must provide more opportunities for involvement for underrepresented student populations, Volk said.

“I don’t think sororities are equitable to people who struggle financially,” Volk said. “When some people are working minimum wage jobs just for food, water and shelter, how are they expected to participate in extracurriculars that cost upward of $2,000 per year? Having campus involvement cost money is a huge barrier.”

Written by: MIKI WAYNE — features@theaggie.org

Oct. 5th holiday meant to celebrate traditional garment, culture, community

Taste of Thai, located in Downtown Davis, held a celebration for Batik Day — one of Indonesia’s holidays — on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Indonesian Student Association, known as PERMIAS amongst its members, filled the restaurant’s main dining area dressed in colorful garments to celebrate the traditional holiday.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Indonesian Batik as a masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity in 2009. The organization works to preserve cultures and traditions under the threat of extinction. All cultures that are selected are chosen because they contribute to the “cultural diversity of humanity,” according to UNESCO’s website. The official holiday is Oct. 2, but the Davis community chose to celebrate on Oct. 5. 

Aldi Wibowo, a second-year electrical engineering major, is the president of PERMIAS. This holiday holds a significant amount of meaning for her, and she explained the celebration stands for the day when the UN recognized Batik as a world heritage culture. 

Wibowo, who was elected in May 2019, said the society has continued the tradition of celebrating this day here in Davis as members in previous years have done in an attempt to promote their goals as a society.

“We have three main goals,” Wibowo said. “Our first goal is to gather our members at UC Davis so that every Indonesian can meet and socialize with each other. Our second goal is to interact with other Indonesian student associations, like the ones located in San Francisco and the Bay Area. And our third goal is to promote Indonesian culture and heritage to UC Davis. This is actually one of the only events we have to commemorate our culture; it reminds us of our roots. I think it shows our pride as Indonesians; it is a main part of our culture and in Indonesia it is worn a lot.” 

Batik is both an art and a craft, according to a website dedicated entirely to the creation of the garment. More specifically, it is a unique way in which clothing is decorated. Wax is dripped onto a piece of cloth, which is then colored with dyes. Once the cloth is dry, the wax is peeled off to reveal a distinctive pattern underneath. 

For second-year design major Vania Sutandi, the piece of clothing reminds her of her former home in Indonesia. She commented on the garment’s popularity and explained that because of its widespread recognition, many designer brands are trying to adapt the traditional clothing style for teens. It is not just the creative style that unites people — it is also the meaning behind the clothing. 

“On work days — mostly Friday — everyone wears Batik,” Sutandi said. “It is a celebration of Indonesian art. It is very unique and something you think of when you think of Indonesia.” 

Indonesian pride is something that PERMIAS strives to celebrate at their different events such as Batik day. Moreover, they are seeking to create a community and to bond through their mutual culture. Such is the case for Matthew Kuangga, a third-year computer science major who enjoys being able to see his friends and hang out with them on a day that means so much to all of them.

“You are far away from home and trying to adjust to life here,” Kuangga said. “It is nice to have connections from home. It’s kind of like a secret society of people like us, when we meet each other there are kind of like some indo vibes.” 

For most of the members of the Indonesian Student Association, the Batik Day celebration is not just an excuse to get together with friends and eat out, but as Sutandi puts it, it also means “having a piece of Indonesia, here in Davis.”

Written by: Isabella Beristain — features@theaggie.org